The present invention relates to a container which is preferably made of a liquid-resistant, planar blank of impregnated cardboard or like material formed via folding lines and edge flaps and having a bag affixed thereto. The container exists in a starting position in a flat, unfolded condition along a bottom folding line with a double foldable bottom portion. The bottom portion halves are adapted to be pulled in by a simple hand grip with a snapped or curved contour along the bottom folding line and thereby hold the container stretched in a ready-for-use condition by means of inherent elastic forces in the bottom portion of the container and adjacent container portions, forming a liquid-tight container inner portion with an associated bottom portion that is connected at opposite edges of the container inner portion to a container outer portion, to form a bracing, enveloping outer portion for the inner portion. A bag or liner is affixed to line the inner cavity that is formed. The container can serve a variety of uses, such as hot or cold beverage holders, flower vases, and the like.
Norwegian Patent Application No. 943536 discloses an extra bracing member which can overlap the bottom portion of the container in the ready-to-use position and which by means of inherent elasticity together with the elasticity in the bottom portion can maintain the container in place in a use ready condition. Further separate locking devices may also be used to lock the container in the ready-to-use position. Such separate locking devices can be, for example, fastened to the container at a local portion of its bottom portion by adhesion/welding. Such an extra locking device can, if desired, be made of corresponding material or of other material, and can have greater rigidity.
In practice, the container must be maintained in a ready-to-use position while avoiding unintentional collapsing of the container. The container of the present invention is a waterproof container capable of holding liquid having double-sided walls and a container bottom, the walls and bottom defining a cavity to hold a liquid. The container bottom is inwardly projecting, that is the bottom projects upward into the container cavity towards the container opening when in the ready-to-use position, and is collapsible so that in conjunction with fold lines in the walls of the container, the container can be stored in a flat or collapsed position. The outer wall of the container preferably extends at least partially beyond the bottom of the stabilizing container bottom to form the base of the container. The base is substantially the same shape as the cavity opening at the opposite end of the container, and is preferably larger than the cavity end, although embodiments where the base is of smaller dimension than the top are envisioned.
The container is preferably prepared from a unitary carton blank, although constructions are envisioned where several different pieces are adhered together to form the container of the invention and are meant to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.
The container blanks of the invention are divided by a plurality of fold and/or score lines such that the container of the invention can be formed by folding the various sections of the blank to form the double walled container having a collapsible bottom portion that projects upward towards the opening of the container and maintains the container in the open position. The sections of the blank formed by the fold lines are further divided by additional fold lines which define the inner and outer side walls of the container.
The bottom edge of the outer side wall will form the base of the container. The liner, as noted above, are preferably attached to the blank prior to forming the finished container, but can be affixed to the inner walls defining the cavity after erection of the container to a ready to use position. The liner may also be affixed to the inside wall of the bottom of the container, but this is not required.
The container of the present invention is of the bag-in-the-box type and provides a combined collapsible bottom or bottom portion which stabilizes the bottom portion and opposite sides of the container in a direction across a central plane of the container through the bottom folding line of the bottom portion. This bottom structure (hereinafter "container bottom") includes a first, permanent bracing section, which is rigidly fastened to the bottom portion on the one side of the bottom folding line, and a second optionally, readjustable bracing section, which, when the container is in its flat starting position, projects freely outwards past the bottom folding line. The container bottom has great inherent rigidity in a direction across the bottom folding line and has a longitudinal dimension across the bottom folding line corresponding to or substantially corresponding to the breadth of the ready-for-use container in a direction across the bottom folding line. The container bottom thus provides stability to the container when in the ready-to-use position.
A waterproof bag or liner is provided in the interior cavity of the container to prevent leakage of liquids to be held in the container cavity. Preferably the liner is plastic, and may be a heat resistant plastic to hold a hot liquid, such as, e.g., soup.
The containers of the invention may also be prepared from several joined pieces of container blank in double walled construction having a cavity lined with the blank or liner.
In a preferred embodiment, a combined bottom-bracing and bottom-closing means ("bottom brace") is locally provided to the bottom of the container, to help prevent unintentional collapsing of the container when in use.
Without influencing the ability of the container bottom to be fixed in an elastically yielding manner, the flexibility and elasticity of the bottom portion is utilized in a favorable manner. In addition, an extra bracing and closing portion may be provided.
The liner or bag prevents leakage of liquids, making the container particularly useful as a flower vase. The container can also be used as a cup, a pharmaceutical dispenser, a specimen container, e.g., for urine, etc.